Kerala Halts Sale of Coldrif Syrup After Reports of Child Deaths

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s Drugs Control Department has ordered an immediate suspension of Coldrif cough syrup across the state after safety concerns were raised about one of its batches.

Officials said problems were detected in batch SR 13 following reports from outside Kerala, where children are believed to have died after consuming the medicine. Though early checks suggest this batch had not entered the state, Health Minister Veena George announced a blanket ban on sale and distribution, calling it a necessary step to protect public health.

“Even if the batch has not been supplied here, safety comes first,” she said. “We have instructed all pharmacies and hospitals to stop dispensing the syrup at once.”

The warning follows a string of child deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. In Chhindwara district, nine children died within two weeks after taking cough syrup; Rajasthan later reported two further deaths. At least ten other children remain in treatment, and more than 1,400 are under observation. Investigators suspect the medicine may be the cause, though full scientific reports are awaited.

The Union Health Ministry has already advised against giving cough syrups to children under two, stressing that most cough- related illnesses at that age clear naturally without medication. Doctors also caution that even for older children, dosage must be carefully controlled and mixed use with other medicines avoided.

Attention has now turned to Kezon Pharma, the manufacturer behind the syrups distributed in government hospitals in both states. The company, already blacklisted over repeated complaints of poor quality, is accused of supplying cough syrup containing Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide. Out of 660 bottles produced, 594 were sent to distributors in Chhindwara, while 66 remained with the company. Sixteen samples have been sent for laboratory testing, and the rest of the stock has been blocked from sale.

Both Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have now banned the distribution of the syrup, while a special team has been appointed to investigate the deaths.